Ricky Rubio (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The New York Knicks are still looking for a point guard upgrade and Minnesota Timberwolves' Ricky Rubio are one of the available PGs this season, according to the latest NBA trade rumors.
There is a growing sense that the Knicks are still hoping to make the postseason after team president Phil Jackson quickly pulled the trigger in firing Derek Fisher.
The Knicks are currently holding a record of 23-32 on a six-game losing streak, but they may still turn things around as they are only five games behind the eighth-place Charlotte Hornets. However, they should address their point guard woes if they really intend to join the playoff picture.
One available target for the Knicks is Rubio, who, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, is "readily available" in the trade market.
Isola noted that Zach Lavine's epic display at the recent All-Star Slam Dunk contest would earn him the starting job in Minny, moving Rubio to the backseat of the team's rotation.
It would be intriguing to see Rubio paying alongside Carmelo Anthony and maximizing the potential of rookie Kristaps Porzingis. Rubio, while only averages 9.7 points per game this season, would light up the Knicks offense with his court vision and 8.6 assists per contests.
However, the Knicks do not have much to offer for the Timberwolves, who is also expected to miss the playoff with a 17-37 record halfway through the entire season.
"Phil Jackson is in the market for a point guard but it's hard to envision the Knicks having the assets to acquire the 25-year-old Rubio," Isola noted.
Given their current situation the Wolves would probably ask for an expiring contract from the Knicks to have cap flexibility in the summer to sign quality free agents. One possible trade scenario that works in ESPN's trade machine is sending Rubio to the Knicks for Arron Afflalo and Kevin Seraphin.
Seraphin is only contracted for the Knicks this season, while Afflalo is on a two-year $16 million deal, but is expected to decline his player option this summer once the NBA's new TV deal kicks in.
It remains to be seen whether the Knicks are truly interested in acquiring Rubio via trade. But given how the Spaniard makes things easy on the court, Rubio is certainly considered as one of the players who could address the Knicks' point guard woes.
